Time runs out for Thomasville

Thursday

Jul 25, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Editor: This is in response to your recent editorial concerning the "odd" timing of actions against the city of Thomasville for chronic failure to comply with the law in handling their water issues. I've spent several years involved with water quality issues as a leader of a nonprofit organization, and in that role, have dealt with government entities several times. I am familiar with the issue and the parties involved. A common element to these cases is the complaint that "we are trying — we just don't have the money in the budget." The current action being taken by the SELC was not done hastily, only after meetings with the Riverkeeper and their own research would they step in and threaten legal action, and unless there is a strong pattern of continued abuse and lip service would they act. The last similar action I was involved in took several years of negotiation, broken promises and stalling before we had to file suit against the federal government to finally stop the pollution. And in the meantime, the pollution continued. The city of Thomasville has been "trying" to resolve their chronic issues for many years — but trying does not keep millions of gallons of raw sewage out of the waterways downstream of Thomasville. There are a lot of crude things to say hear about what exactly their efforts have amounted to, which I will not state here, but their "trying" is trying the patience of those people impacted by their failure. It is time for them to do whatever is necessary to actually succeed or face the prospect of a protracted and expensive legal battle over the consequences of their failures, and to be held accountable under law. Nobody has the right to pollute public waterways and the time has run out on patchwork and promises.

Editor: This is in response to your recent editorial concerning the "odd" timing of actions against the city of Thomasville for chronic failure to comply with the law in handling their water issues. I've spent several years involved with water quality issues as a leader of a nonprofit organization, and in that role, have dealt with government entities several times. I am familiar with the issue and the parties involved. A common element to these cases is the complaint that "we are trying — we just don't have the money in the budget." The current action being taken by the SELC was not done hastily, only after meetings with the Riverkeeper and their own research would they step in and threaten legal action, and unless there is a strong pattern of continued abuse and lip service would they act. The last similar action I was involved in took several years of negotiation, broken promises and stalling before we had to file suit against the federal government to finally stop the pollution. And in the meantime, the pollution continued. The city of Thomasville has been "trying" to resolve their chronic issues for many years — but trying does not keep millions of gallons of raw sewage out of the waterways downstream of Thomasville. There are a lot of crude things to say hear about what exactly their efforts have amounted to, which I will not state here, but their "trying" is trying the patience of those people impacted by their failure. It is time for them to do whatever is necessary to actually succeed or face the prospect of a protracted and expensive legal battle over the consequences of their failures, and to be held accountable under law. Nobody has the right to pollute public waterways and the time has run out on patchwork and promises.James BerrierWelcome

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